The First
by DancingInTheGrey
Summary: First to Clan Lavellan, Kahill was simply sent to be watchful eyes and attentive ears at the Conclave. Yet, he finds himself bestowed with a mark to close rifts, choices beyond his reckoning, and the responsibility of defending Thedas from a threat that rivals the very gods.


**Hello! Welcome to my first story on this account. I have written Fanfictions before but never with the great epic that is Dragon Age. I'm excited to share this with everyone and hope you enjoy! Please review - it makes me write faster!**

I was dreaming.

The green canopies overhead rustled in the light wind from the south, foretelling of the upcoming fall that would whisk away the vibrant emerald and replace the leaves with colors of ruby and beryl, gold and bronze. I never minded fall, appreciating the cooler air as it left me invigorated and mind fresh, plus it made wearing robes bearable, unlike the summer's heat which still beat overhead despite the approaching season change. It wasn't uncommon for the First to the Keeper to wear light leathers and cloth to bait off the heat but I always appreciated the usage of robes, especially after a short duration near Ostwick and witnessing the lives of the mages there. I, of course, did not travel too close as I felt the unnerving eyes of the Templars probing for any signs of magic and I wished to give them no reason to give chase, but I saw the pockets for totems, scrolls, and tomes of magic and ease of movement pivotal for spellcasting.

The robes were fashioned from light gossamer and velvet, enriched by elvhen magic to make the supple cloth, which was bought on trade from the humans in leafless Kirkwall, hard as steel if necessary or soft as a moth's wings against the cheek – a gift from the Keeper when she decided to place the mantle of First, her second, upon my thin shoulders. The colors of silver and emerald green were beautiful, catching in the light of moon and sun, star and witchlight, and a continual reminder of our – the elvhen's – gift in the magical arts and lore. I cherished it fondly and I found myself rubbing the texture at times when my mind is was preoccupied, finding solace and comfort as it reminded me always of the Keeper, the head of our clan and the lore-keeper of magic, history, and culture to our people.

As I continued my walk among the trees of Planasene Forest, a place east of Kirkwall and Ostwick in the Free Marches, hearing the bird song and the rustle of animals twitching in the overgrowth, I felt at peace.

At home.

Then an unsettling calmness fell over me, silent and stagnant; I frowned and stopped in my wanderings. The feeling wasn't entirely a comforting thing, actually almost deadly and lethal, like the still before a storm. An energy shimmered in the air, static, and about to combust if I even moved a muscle. Unconsciously, my breathing quickened and I reached for the magic that would come at my calling. As I did so, I heard a strange chittering noise break the silence and turned, forgetting my premonition of not bringing notice to myself.

As I swirled around in a flurry of moonlight and emeralds, the forest descended into a world of murky haze, green and sulfurous, and unfamiliar rocky outcrops that forebode of doom and lifelessness. My mind tugged at me familiarly, whispering I was in the Fade, but that made little sense to me. I was, of course, dreaming – I had to be in the Fade as that was where our minds go when we sleep. Yet, it felt different now. Like I was awake but that, again, was ludicrous. I couldn't be in the Fade while awake, not like this.

 _And what was that ominous chittering noise?_

The Fade revealed its secrets as spiders – bigger than those I have ever seen, even in the shadow of Sundermount – crawled hazard-like over the dirt crags and chasms, multiple eyes faceted upon me in their hungry intent. On reflex alone, I called upon the magic and intended merely to send tendrils of flame in warning, that I meant no harm if left alone but could be troublesome if tempted. Instead, an explosion of heat and arid waves erupted from my palm, the fire green and alien as it burst upon the spiders. Screeches of pain and chaos soon followed but I couldn't see the results, lost among the smoke and haze of the Fade. The chittering, however, did not stop and I realized there would be more creatures, waiting for another attack, preparing.

My mind reeled from everything. That spell was not my own, not my intentions. I recognized that in the Fade, magic was easier to summon and control, but nothing like this. Also, the green fire? What did that mean? Too many questions and I was not in the right place to answer them, not safely. I had to escape…but how?

Looking around, I saw that most of my surroundings were obscured by that same greenish haze which concealed the plotting of the spiders, their chittering only growing louder. Then, as I turned completely around, I saw a lone column of dirt, tall and looming high into the starless dark sky. On top of that structure, a silhouette of a woman stood, beckoning to me. I squinted but her form was also blurred but there was a radiating glow around her. It had to be the smoke that made it appear green, not something more mystical or devious. Was she friend or foe in this strange, mysterious realm?

A frantic scurrying came again from behind and I glanced over my shoulder to see a horde of spiders crawling towards me, scattering out in a long line which would make it impossible for me to fend them off from every direction if they surrounded me. Also, without great pleasure, I admitted the green fire frightened me a little and I did not wish to call upon magic again if it would be the answer. Without another thought, I hurtled myself forward and ran towards the feminine figure, hiking up my robes as I did so I would not trip and fall. Deadly if not embarrassing. The spiders, seeing me run and not attack, screeched primordially as they chased after, their legs finding purchase on the loose soil better than my soft-leathered boots.

The distance seemed impossibly far and the spiders realistically close but I had visited the Fade before. Albeit in my dreams and not in person as I reckoned I was now but I figured the same mystical rules applied. Allowing myself the notion to believe I was agile, moving easier and swifter, traversing the land like halla bursting out of forest dwellings and across smooth fields – I was faster than the spiders, I had to be. In a blink, I was nearing the incline of the hill, the spiders' clicking and chattering faintly heard but approaching quickly, almost demonic now as they realized their prey was getting free. Breathing hard, I didn't bother looking back, and simply started the climb up, scrambling, and finding it difficult to maintain a hold in the cold dirt that would break in my hands.

The figure, now like a burning candle of green flame, leaned down, reaching out a hand to help.

My boots slipped under me as I did the same, fingers splayed out towards her.

I was just out of reach.

The spiders were right behind me again; I could hear the churning of the dirt under their long legs.

I yelled and heaved my thin body as far as I could muster, my intent only upon the wordless woman, who obliterated everything else around me with her greenish light, like the sun if stared at too long.

Our hands neared. Almost. A breaths away.

We touched fingertips.

Then a burning erupted in the palm of my outreached hand, the one closest to the figure, the one which called the green flames to purpose, and I screamed as my world exploded into darkness.

My mouth was terribly dry, bitter and rancid, like I hadn't tasted water in a long while but I couldn't have been asleep that long. I recalled laying down to sleep only a short walk from the Temple and then…the dream! The spiders and the green, feminine figure and the pain…the pain which still ached in my hand, followed by a dull throb in the region of my knees. Slightly hesitation, I opened my eyes.

I almost shut them quickly again as a blistering torch nestled in its sconce was radiating light and shadows right across from me. That quick blink was enough for me to gain an idea of my surroundings however and I surmised I was in some type of jail on my knees, which explained the pain as the cobbled stone was something not entirely comfortable. A human guard, dressed in strange armor, appeared to be in the corner but he was stoically passive and made no show of noticing me waking up.

Without much else, I forced myself to keep my eyes open, squinting against the light. As I peeked around, I saw corridors going in different directions, probably housing more cells like the one behind me, but there was a heavy silence to the air and I suspected I was the only one to have the honor of being here. I didn't understand why I wasn't in the cell and currently kneeling on the ground when thought left as a greenish light illuminated the jail with a crackling hiss, the source my own hand!

Gasping, my nerves exploded in a strange burning feeling as I tried cradling it to my chest but found my hands linked together by a metal manacle and I gritted my teeth as a scream attempted to wrestle itself out of me, one of fear and pain. It, however, was over as quickly as it came but just as the light faded from the room, the door was thrown open and more torch light spilled into the room. Breathing hard, I looked up automatically to see what new kind of fate was spiraling in front of me.

Two women, both thin, tall, and human, came into the room, followed by a plethora of other guards; one's steps were light and soft as a whisper but the other had a firm walk, paced and practiced. The latter woman rushed forward to me, eyes blazing with fierce intent in the dark depths, and grabbed my left hand, the one which spewed the bright green light, and lifted it up, turning the palm to face me, causing the skin to pinch. If she cared, she didn't show it as she snarled, "What do you know of this? Explain yourself or by the Maker, I will kill you myself."

 _Kill me?_

"I-I," I sputtered, my mind completely forgetting itself as the woman with the image of a sunburst etched into her armor looked at me shrewdly. Words completely left me and all I could do was stare obliviously at her. She did not show concern as she only loomed closer to me and I noticed a jagged scar that ran across the side of her cheek, emphasizing the lean, harsh features.

"Cassandra! Enough – we need him, remember?" The other woman, who was shrouded in dark, light-weighted armor and a thick cloak that wrapped around her form perfectly, rested a hand against the stern one's shoulder. This calmed the supposed Cassandra down though it did little to change the expression on her face, like I was a mongrel who had bitten her child or something. My rescuer gracefully turned back around, every movement kept and poised, and kneeled down to face me. Her light eyes were large in a thin face and curtained by locks of auburn hair that could be seen under the cowl of her cloak; she would've been beautiful except for the shadows that lurked behind the eyes, a darkness that could only come from a haunted past. "What's your name, elf?"

Cassandra made an impatient sound from somewhere out of sight but the woman kept her gaze on me. Maybe it was her calming presence or that I was waking up more but rationality came back to me and I found words once again. "My name is Kahill of Clan Lavellan, First to the Keeper Istimaethroiel."

"A mage!" Cassandra stormed into sight again, stopping to stand behind the other woman who was watching me closely. "I should've known! Only magic could have caused the destruction at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, probably some sort of strange ancient elven power unknown to the Circles."

"What are you talking about? I didn't destroy anything!" I exclaimed, both confused and astonished. What did she mean that the Temple of Sacred Ashes was destroyed?

"Oh, really?" Cassandra yelled, rushing forward to grab my hand again just as another burst of green lightning flickered from it. "Then explain _this_."

"I don't even know what that is, let alone how I got it or what it means! I swear to the gods of my people that I have no memory of its placement," I explained, words spilling out of my mouth so hastily and unkempt that the Keeper would've been ashamed by my lack of control and poise but I wasn't trained for this, unprepared. Cassandra stepped back and crossed her arms, leering from above us. "All I can recall is a strange place, most likely a part of the Fade but none that I could ever recall and not like the area where I had fallen asleep at, and dangerous spiders, and…and a woman!"

"A woman?" That piqued the interest of the kneeling woman, eyes flickering over my face, watching every facial movement and gesture. "Who?"

"Leliana, you can't be believing what he's saying hon-"

"Silence." Cassandra listened – to my amazement – and the one called Leliana nodded her head. "Explain."

"I don't know who it was as I couldn't see much of her face, she was shrouded in a green light – not unlike the light from my hand – and obscured from my sight. She reached out to me as I was running from the creatures, helping or hindering I do not know, and then…then I woke up here."

Leliana stood, eyebrows scrunched in thought, and glanced wordlessly at Cassandra, whose expression was blank and stern. Wordlessly, they exchanged glances and I supposed much was told but the meaning was unknown to me. My apprehension was rising once again and breathing tight, the cramped chamber of oppressive stone not helping the matter.

Cassandra nodded to her companion and the guards around her. "Leliana, go on to the forward camp, find Commander Cullen, and prepare them to move if need be. Guards, follow her; I will take the elf to the rift personally."

The shrouded woman nodded and signaled a gesture to the guards, who filed out, and she gave me one last look – a glance of… _hope_? – before following. I swallowed forcibly, dry throat protesting, with being left alone with the hard-faced woman but her expression was different, not soft exactly but not ready to jam a sword, which she conveniently had strung on her belt, through my chest quite yet. With quick gestures, she leaned down and unlocked my manacles though my hands were still tied together by strips of leather; she didn't untie them however as she helped me to my feet, my dull robes that I had worn on my travels to the Temple rattier and shabbier than ever. With a pang, I recall the robes I had worn in the dream but sadly they were back with the clan and Keeper.

"So…" The reminder of the Keeper and the rest of the clan brought me back down to reality and I realized I had to figure things out despite nothing making sense. The Keeper had sent me here to watch the meeting of Circle mages and Chantry templars as the results would certainly affect the whole of Thedas, not just the shemlens. The only logical course of action would be to follow this path wherever it took me and for that to happen, I required information. "What did happen?"

The stern woman didn't seem as stern as she looked at me, almost pitying, almost scared, almost sorrowful. "It would be easier to show you."

I looked at her, wondering to probe more into the issue but her expression told me not to push the matter. If my assumptions of the woman were correct…then I really had something to fear and I almost didn't want to leave the small, cramped room although it felt like a weight was crushing down on my chest from the enclosed space and lack of fresh air.

She led me up the stone stairs into a wide, open hall that, thankfully, seemed to be constructed from wood though not in the manner of my people. Rugs of animal pelts and furs littered the floor while strange paintings and curtains coated the walls, aiding in the feeling and aura of warmth that mostly came from the small hearth crackling merrily. Rooms and corridors led off from the main hall but Cassandra took me through the great door into a world of bright, blinding sunlight, brisk wind, and – gods' be praised – fresh air. I had to squint slightly from the change in settings but my elven eyes adapted quickly.

Then I saw it.

 _Rift?_

The word didn't do it justice as a section of the sky was dominated by a large, whirling opening, vast and mighty like something I had never seen before either through my own eyes or the dreams in the Fade. Hues of greenish light flickered through the sky, obscuring the pale blue beyond it, and as I watched, the rift flashed an opalescence of light and an explosion of green shot down from the heavens and into the hills off to the distance; I didn't watch it land as my hand shot up of its own accord, directing itself toward the vast rift, and green light echoed from my palm to mirror the explosion. The burning feeling returned, soaring through the nerves of my arm, and I crumpled again to my knees, scared and confused.

As the feeling dwindled into something tolerable, I found Cassandra kneeling next to me. She answered my unasked question as she looked up at the rift, the dull green reflecting brightly. "We don't know much about it except that it appeared at the same time of the Temple's explosion and the death of all those mages and templars…Demons and spirits drop through it as easily as a crack to a world, so we call it the Breach. It's getting larger as we speak and so far, we have no method or idea how to stop it until the whole world is consumed by its entirety. As the Breach expands and grows, your hand responds in turn, spreading through your hand." She paused and let out a controlled breath slowly. "Honestly, we believe it will eventually kill you."

I closed my eyes.

I really was not enjoying Ferelden.

"We also hope that your mark is the key to this Breach, a way of stopping it, but it's all speculation at this point. You're all we got and time is of the essence, running out for all of us, including you. Will you help?" I almost expected her voice to break as I presumed her to be the type of woman who does not ask things of others lightly, which almost terrified me more than the Breach itself, but she was in control as ever.

"Does…Does this mean you don't believe I'm guilty?" I had to ask the question, mostly to stall my answer but also to manage my station and see where I was at. Death by magical rift in the sky was one thing, execution was another.

Cassandra got me back to my feet and looked me directly in the eye. "I don't know the truth or what happened. The Conclave, the meeting orchestrated by Divine Justinia to be the one and only hope of peace between Circle and Chantry, was destroyed in the lashing out of the Breach. The shattered remnants of each organization are scared, scrambling into their own corners, and striking out at anyone who dares come close. Most Holy is – was loved by many people across Orlais, Ferelden, and beyond and retribution is expected, _needed_ by the people. You're the only suspect and there will be a trial…beyond that, I cannot say."

Even faraway Free Marches' elven clans knew about Divine Justinia and the contributions she had started for the world. Her death would cause civil chaos in places were fear of mages was heavy upon simple folks or if the templars withdrew their support and protection. The Breach would only escalate alarm and force people's hands into doing something unwise, something horror stories and myths are born from. I looked down at my hand, where the glowing mark shone, and realized I could no longer watch from the shadows, like I did at Ostwick Circle. I had a choice to make, for better or for worse, and I knew what I wanted.

I met Cassandra's eye. "I'll do what I can."

She stared at me for a long moment and I felt as if she was searching the very basis of my soul for a sign that I was lying or speaking falsely. Silently, she unsheathed a knife from behind her back and my heart missed a beat but she only cut the bonds holding my wrists together and sheathed the blade again. "We must hurry." Then she was pacing through the streets, not looking back to see if I was following, as I had little other options.

Robes fluttering around after me, I hurried to match pace with Cassandra which was no easy feat as she was amazingly fast for someone wearing armor. Soldiers, tradesmen, and farmers hurried by, some nodding to Cassandra almost reverently, while I mostly earned dark looks and inappropriate movements of the hand or subtle gestures such as crossing arms or putting a hand reassuringly on the hilt of a blade. I wasn't scared; I had magic if need be to protect myself but I realized that would only make me more of a target than I already was in a foreign land so unlike home and my clan.

"What place is this exactly?" I asked.

"Haven," Cassandra returned bluntly but continued at my relentless persuading. "It was once just a small, forgotten village resting in the shadow of the Frostback Mountains. It wasn't very well-known and probably would've remained that way if not for its close proximity to the Temple of Sacred Ashes and if the Hero of Ferelden had not once graced its meager streets during the previous Blight, which was why Divine Justinia decided to renew it as a holy sanctuary for pilgrims to come visit. We're currently using it as a place for refugees and others to congregate, to find answers, and to help with closing the Breach."

"You keep saying 'we,' who do you mean?"

"'We' are those who are still alive, the ones not present at the Conclave, so basically petty Chantry members and novice templars under the guidance of myself, Leliana, and Cullen, a tactical leader of our armed forces, who once was a knight-commander in Kirkwall before the uprising. It's not simple but we've been maintaining control and resources in these times to the best of our abilities." There was no trace of pride in her voice, simply the truth.

"I do not wish to sound rude," I said slowly, carefully selecting my words, "but what exactly placed you and Leliana in a position of power?"

Cassandra stopped and glared at me. "My name is Cassandra Pentaghast, Right Hand of the former Divine, with Leliana being the Left. We do not have the time nor do I have the patience to explain everything to you at the current moment so if you will, we'll keep moving and stop with the unnecessary questions." Without ado, she turned once again and stalked off.

I watched her for a moment.

"Shemlens," I swore and promptly traced her steps.

A wind howled through the frozen air, cold and chilling, and I drew my robes closer around myself. I wasn't accustomed to such climate and couldn't exactly say I approved of it but as snow began to fall, white and innocent against the Breach's forbidding green, I could see the beauty of it. Maybe not like the trees during spring and fall within the Planasene Forest but it had a rugged appeal nonetheless. I didn't have much time to stare at the small but well-built huts and cottages of Haven nor the people that inhabited them before we stood at the outside gate, open and wide, allowing anyone in under the presence of two guardsmen. They waved us through without a word but I felt their lingering gazes on me like sap.

Turning left, towards the north, we headed quickly past an empty stable and a noisy armory, the harsh sound of metal upon metal a cacophony in the air. As we ascended a dirt path shadowed by looming cliffs on one side and the tall, firm wooden walls of Haven on the other, the Breach seemed even larger, towering over the colossal mountain range, winking its green light innocently, and a churning started in the pit of my stomach – I was supposed to fix that? With my hand that I knew nothing about? How many people will die by demonic means if I do not intervene, if I am not successful? What if –

 _No_ , I mentally informed myself, _I can't think like this. It will do no one any good, especially if I am not focused. Remember your clan, the Keeper, and how they are relying on you_ _in these dark times to help the shemlens while strategizing peace for the clan. I do not have the time to ask rhetorical questions._ With that, I cleared my mind, an easy process after working with magic for so long, and walked alongside the Left Hand of the Divine…whatever that implied.

The walls of Haven eventually gave way to more mountainside, and cliffs and rocks with straggling wispy trees surrounded us on each side as the path winded through the hills. At times, strange animals I didn't recognize would scamper by, crying out as they ran in the opposite direction, away from the Breach and toward a hopeful safety. It made me want to turn and follow them as I found animalistic instincts superior to even those such as the elvhen when faced with unknown danger but I maintained a swift tread with Cassandra, who was stoic in her silence, eyes forward, hand gripped lightly on her sword as if ready to draw it.

Before long, a towering gate hued of stone and embraced with wood appeared before us and Cassandra lifted her free hand and made a signal in the air. I couldn't see anyone on watch nor was there a call of greeting but the gates started opening nonetheless and we passed under it onto a bridge that spanned a frozen waterfall and river, which led out towards an ice-covered lake to the south. The sight would've been something magnificent to see but Cassandra didn't allow for such novelties, which I quickly understood. A makeshift camp had been constructed on the bridge with tents and resources bundled up tightly against the wind and the elements, ready for use, but the number of those dead exceeded those alive. A woman – a Chantry sister, I surmised – was bowing her head and praying, shaking back and forth from either the intensity of her faith or from the sobs wracking her body. I averted my gaze to see a soldier with a clipboard, counting out the dead then going between each, looking at their faces while keeping her own void of emotion, and then scratching down what she found. A tally of those fallen for the commanders and their family.

My stomach turned again. I had never seen so much death all in one place. As First to the Keeper, I was used to helping in rituals of the dead, to help the spirits pass on with the aid of the Twins, especially Falon'Din, but it wasn't like this, never so potent. Yet, as Cassandra commanded for the opposite gate to be open and for us to walk into the valley that proceeded the Temple of Sacred Ashes, a dread fell over me, whispering a promise that this would only be the beginning of such dark and shadowed times.

We hurried through the gate and along a winding path, one side hugging the hillside while the other, bordered by stone walls with flaming sconces, dropped down to show the frozen river below. Soldiers in strange and almost humorous armor ran by, intent in their own purpose although never did one fail to falter and signal Cassandra with a sign of respect, or standing behind barricades that faced the direction we were heading; not exactly a promising sign. I kept to the woman's side as best as I could, trying to be out of the way but the meager path was heavily crowded.

When the soldiers were behind us and the tree-stained sheer cliff that hugged the side dropped off to reveal a white, frozen valley, Cassandra spoke up, her voice ringing loudly in the cold air. "The Temple of Sacred Ashes once stood high upon that peak" – she pointed with a gloved hand to a plateau that only held smoldering ruins and twisted spires of broken stone – "and there it was you were found by our soldiers. Reports tell us that you stepped out of the Fade and fell unconscious at the guards' feet, the mark on your hand burning as bright as torchlight. One stated they witnessed a woman behind, not unlike the description you told, but they were unable to learn more before the door you came from closed. Do you remember that?"

"I-I…no," I said, trying to recall but only segments of my dream came back to me. Fade. Spiders. Woman. Green. "I simply can't remember."

Cassandra nodded sharply. "Then we proceed as planned. Before we assault the Breach, we need to figure out if your hand can be the tool to close it. Therefore, we are going to attempt it to seal one of the smaller rifts that plaque these lands. Andraste willing, it will work and we'll have a means of ending this madness."

"If not?" I couldn't help but ask.

The stern woman glared at me once, reprovingly. "Then we look elsewhere until we do. Come. The Temple is not far if we stick to the road that leads from the crossing there." She indicated a quarter mile ahead where a bridge, not as big as the one we'd previously walked over, loomed over another segment of frozen river and wilderness. I could see the glinting light of the Breach's radiance reflected in soldiers' helmets stationed there.

Just then, the Breach pulsed and, like glowing green coals, emitted boulders soaring down into the valley and where they landed, demons sprouted up like radical flowers in various hues; raging red, prideful purple, crestfallen cerulean, saffron shades, and wispy green and yellow of formless spirits. Some scampered towards to the flocks of soldiers and guards while others turned and disappeared further into the valley, especially desire and pride demons while rage scorched unburdened with shadowy shades following like soot. I never had seen them before in daylight and never in so many numbers but the illustrations of my people made it unmistakably easy to identify them.

There were so many.

"This is why we need your help," Cassandra said from my side, taking in the horror that was the valley with a closed expression. "All over Thedas, rifts are appearing and demons crawl out like pests to asunder this world. Some small, some large, but this is the largest of its kind. The peoples – not just humans but elves, qunari, and dwarves – are all in danger if we don't find some kind of weapon against them."

"And I may be that weapon?" I asked softly as we headed further towards the valley and the remains of the Temple that used to be sacred for those considered Andrastian. "The mark, I mean, you think it will hope?"

"I do."

And that was that as we stepped out onto the bridge, guards keeping post at the other end. From a distance, I saw one say something to another before heading toward us. I could see his features, handsome for a human, and he smiled as he raised a hand in greeting. He opened his mouth – then he was gone in an explosion of sound and light as a fade-touched boulder descended upon him, shaking the very foundation of the stone beneath us as a portion of the bridge fell away. For a moment, I believed the bridge would hold but then my feet fell away as the bridge collapsed. A world of dust, ice, and stone chips swirled around me as I curled into a ball and roughly rolled. I bounced into something hard and jagged before coming to rest on the bed of a frozen river, coughing uncontrollably, as my surroundings spun.

"Lavellan!"

A hand enclosed around my bicep and pulled me up onto my feet, back into reality, though I still felt shaky and my side ached horribly. Slightly nauseous and head throbbing madly, I almost preferred the bitter ice but my head cleared slightly as I took a few breaths and my vision cleared enough for me to witness Cassandra looking at the remains of the bridge which loomed overhead. There was no sign of the soldier; the warrior sighed before returning her attention to me. "You okay?"

"No," I said truthfully, "but I'm alive. The solider –"

"Knew what he was signing up for when he enlisted under our command," finished Cassandra before taking a step away. "The road is closed off, we'll need to figure out a different way. Maybe there's some old animal track that will lead us through the valley."

"A valley infested with demons," I muttered but under my breath to not push the woman's limits. My feet dragged slightly as I took a couple of steps away from the bridge when I noticed a long wooden pole tipped with steel – a mage's staff in barbaric Ferelden fashion. I was about to make my way over when I heard a screech tear the valley's air. Turning around, I saw two shades, formless demons of the Fade, swivel up from the remains of the boulder that destroyed the bridge.

Cassandra didn't hesitate. "Get behind me!" Then she ran towards the shades, sword raised and shield up high in defense to engage them. Slightly annoyed at her tone – I wasn't a defenseless child – I could help. Rolling back my sleeves, I tried to focus my intent, concentrating, but I couldn't as my head spun and nausea reared its foul head. I couldn't do this, not on my own abilities, and I swiveled towards the staff. Once I touched the wooden handle, magic vibrated through my bad, a welcoming feeling in an environment of strange and alien.

Using the staff as a focus decreased the concentration needed personally and I faced back towards the fight between Cassandra and the shades. She was interlocked with one in close quarters, keeping them at a short distance, but unable to get close enough to fight one without the other in the way, waiting for advantage.

Reaching for the magic again, I felt a brief pang in my head but the power came willingly. From thin air, tendrils of roots and branches burst forth and entangled around the drifting shade, snaring it with barbs and poisoned tips. It screeched, a sound filled with malice and pain, before dispelling into nothingness. With the opportunity given, Cassandra dropped her guard and finished off the final shade, plunging the blade into its chest and finishing it off.

I approached her, adrenaline and magic coursing alongside my blood like sweet fire, and the occurrence at the bridge seemed like an eon ago. "I think it's over for the moment."

Expecting her to be pleased, I blinked in surprise as her blade shot up and stopped only a few inches away from my neck. Her eyes shone with a fierce determination. "Drop your weapon – _now_!"

Without hesitation, I allowed the staff to slip through my fingers and clatter on the frozen river. "If-If you say so but…but I don't need a weapon to use magic."

Cassandra's lips perused her lips unapprovingly but pulled back and sheathed her weapon. "You're right. There are more demons that lay ahead and I can't protect you…I'm sorry for my reaction but it's hard to find trust in a world that is falling apart at the seams."

"It's fine, you're fine, I'm fine," I returned and picked up the staff, using it slightly as a walking aid. "What now?"

"The road travels above the valley and directly to the forward camp but as that's above us and I fear we don't have the supplies or time necessary to climb to the bridge again, we will have fight our way to the opposite side of the valley. If we're lucky, we might find other stragglers who are trying to do the same, but it looks like we're alone at the moment."

"Then let's go and get it over with." With renewed energy from the magic still thrumming inside, I headed towards a path that split a small alcove of trees near the waterside. In the summer months, animals must use the path for water, but I hoped it would lead us east towards the Temple's remains.

"That spell," Cassandra said from behind me as we made our way through the trees and brush, sometimes forcing our own path as this part of the valley was still untouched from people's taint. "It's like nothing I had seen before. Elven?"

"Magic is not race specific, Right Hand of the Divine, it's just a variation of earth magic your Circle mages like to use."

"You may call me Cassandra; my title of Hand means little with the Divine's death."

"I'd rather not seeing as you were the one who imprisoned me and currently holds the doom of trial and sentencing over my head," I returned simply. "No offense but I feel like it would be too personal."

"Understood," she said, her affectless tone the same. "You can call me, 'seeker,' then, if you'd wish."

"Okay, Seeker."

 _Whatever that meant?_

"Mage."

"First to be exact but…" My attention drifted as I noticed a tall, green plant on top of a short hill as our path took us out of the row of trees and back into the main valley, the Temple still a fair distance off. I walked towards the herb and kneeled down, examining it. Smiling, I plucked off a few leaves and stashed them in my robe. "But who's caring?"

The seeker crossed her arms over her leather chest piece and graced me with a tight-lipped frown. "The world is falling apart as we speak, demons rallying in every corner of Thedas, and you stop for a _weed_?"

"No," I explained as I stood up and faced her. "I stopped for an herb. Elfroot is not a weed, as you put it, but a common herb used to improve healing and act as a mild anesthetic for pain. When we passed your camps, I noticed your people binding wounds without the plant's aid and thought a small supply wouldn't hurt for future use." I made sure the leaves were safe in my robes and in no danger of falling out before nodding at the seeker. "Okay, seeker, lead the way."

Although the air was brisk and frozen, Cassandra and I were soon sweating from the exertion of climbing up ragged cliffs with little traction, slipping in the snow-covered grass and dirt, and maintaining a light jog. We happened upon several, albeit small, groups of demons and spirits but between the seeker's blade and my magic, we advanced with little fear. We didn't speak much except to give advice on which path to take or if we spotted an enemy lurking in the trees or behind looming hills. It felt like we would never arrive but eventually Cassandra spotted a stone staircase etched into the mountainside that rose up to what she claimed would be the road we had forsaken.

As we climbed, the sound of shouting, metal ringing, arrows whistling, and energy crackling met my ears and I glanced at Cassandra, who followed behind me. "There must be fighting ahead," she returned.

"But whom? Friend or foe?"

"At this point, they mean the same as long as they're against the demons. We must hurry!"

Hitching up my robes, I ran up the stairs as quickly as I could; the seeker keeping pace behind me. The empty road traveled in opposite directions but we turned towards the sound of the fighting, past another bridge that appeared to have met the same fate as the previous one we had been on, and into the ruins of what must have been a guard post or a waystation at one time or another. There, a new sight greeted my eyes.

Demons and spirits spilled out of a crack in the air, much like the Breach up in the sky, but smaller and didn't appear to be expanding. Green light shone from it, illuminating more soldiers in the strange, outlandish fashion of the shems, a dwarf who was roaring with laughter as he shot piercing bolts from a device I had never seen before, and an elf who spun electricity and ice as easy as a seamstress does thread. Cassandra, yelling a challenge, ran forward to help with me behind her, calling up my magic as I did. Although I had used nature magic in the valley, fire magic was specifically my area of study and spell of choice. I didn't use it then because we were standing over a frozen river, which may have ended with cold results, but as earth was safely under our feet, I had no fear.

Tendrils of flames spewed from my extended hand and, to my astonishment, burned green like the rift's hue, just as it did in my dream. The spell had the same effect, however, as the spirits hollered unearthly cries before fading away. Unnerved, I forfeited the fire magic and instead, lobed a fist-sized stone from the end of my staff and shattered a shade that the other elven mage had frozen with a wave of his hand. The fight was not long but I barely had a time to catch my breath before the rift lashed out again, promising more horrors.

"We must close the rift!" A voice yelled in my ear; it was the other mage. Without a word of explanation, he grabbed my left hand, the one with the mark, and raised it up towards the tear. It throbbed, pulling towards the rift as if attracted towards it, and energy built up in my palm, increasing the feeling that my nerves were on fire. It was escalating too quickly and I yelled as I let it go, never realizing fully that I was holding it back. Green light streamed from my hand towards the rift, connecting with it in an explosion of light and sound, and my hand snapped back, away from the rift. No…not away from the rift as it was no longer there; the tear was gone.

Amazed, I pulled my hand away from the elf's grasp and gaped at him in astonishment. "How…How did you do that?"

"Me?" The elf seemed amused. His features were refined and composed, eyes slightly slanted, and ears especially pointed but that could've been contributed to his bald head. He pulled back into his himself, pulling his own thick robes of drab greens and browns closer, and smirked. "I did nothing, it was you who has the mark upon his hand."

"But the rift closed – how did you know the mark would accomplish that?" I asked, still confused and slightly annoyed at the humor he was clearly finding in the situation, particularly me and my ignorance.

"Years of my life, I have treaded this world and the Fade, speaking with spirits both benign and malignant, and consider myself an expert in its lore," explained the mage. "As the Breach is clearly a direct access point between our world and it, I thought I would lend my knowledge and aid to those who wanted it. It was the lady seeker" – he bowed his head marginally to Cassandra – "who accepted my company."

"Solas," Cassandra pipped up, "is an apostate, like yourself."

"I'm not an apostate, I'm my clan's First," I retorted, insulted, but no one took heed.

"According to the Chantry, we're all apostates now, aren't we, Cassandra?" Solas' eyes glittered with laughter at her discomfort as she tried to rectify her statement.

The dwarf stepped forward. "Now, now, kids, we should be celebrating. We figured out how to close the Breach and save Pretty's life in the process but we can't do that if we're bickering like a couple of Chantry sisters over the Black Divine." He angled his head up towards me and I, who has seldom ever looked down upon someone, found it odd. The dwarf had ruggedly handsome features although his face was somewhat squished but that could've been due to the face that he had his hair pulled back into a tight bun; he wore a single loop on a chain that rested on a plethora of chest hair from his open jacket. If he appeared chilled, he didn't show it as he smiled toothily. "Name's Varric Tethras of House Tethras, occasional storyteller and spinner of stories, and the best shot from here to the big ol' Imperium."

"Hello, Varric," I said while shaking his hand, feeling the calluses and roughness that I was unaccustomed to with soft-skinned elves. "Kahill –"

"No, no, don't get friendly with him," Cassandra interrupted, breaking the handshake with a furious glance at Varric. "Thank you for your assistance but we're content at the moment so you can be off."

The dwarf laughed and rested his device, which I guessed to be some type of crossbow, against his shoulder, beaming. "Slim chance of that, Seeker. Demons roam these hills like spies loiter Orlesian tea parties – you _need_ meand Bianca. Also, Pretty seems like he's has a good story in the works."

Cassandra made a disgusted noise and shook her head while I stood there wondering who he meant by 'Bianca,' as there were no female soldiers among the few that remained. I didn't get the chance to ask as the seeker quickly gathered us together. "The bridge to the forward camp is destroyed, almost too convenient if you ask me from a Breach that's supposedly dropping these demon-raddled stars upon us randomly. We'll have to descend back into the valley, cross the river, and climb the way to the forward camp. It shouldn't be long but as the dwarf kindly said – there'll be demons. You." She indicated the three soldiers, who saluted in response. "I want you to head back towards Haven, inform them of our progress and tell them to be ready to leave at a moment's notice. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," they echoed and headed in the direction that Cassandra and I had come from. The seeker raggedly took a breath, spared the soldiers one last glance, and rolled her shoulders. "No point in standing here longer, we must go on." Not waiting to see if we would follow or not, she climbed over a broken wall segment and disappeared as the cliff dropped sharply. Solas and Varric exchanged amused glances, chuckled, and proceeded after her. I stood a moment, bemused at the strange companions I somehow had gathered, and sent a prayer to Mythal to protect us all before catching up with the stern shemlen, the stout dwarf, and the hairless elf.

The climb down was slow as the footing was treacherous and one poor misstep would result in calamity so we moved slowly and carefully. Varric kept us all amused with his constant ramblings about, apparently, anything that decided to pop into his head. From demons to the Champion of Kirkwall to the way Solas' head reflected in the Breach's light to my origins, which he brought up as we finally and thankfully made it down to the riverbed. "So, Pretty, where are you from?"

"My name's Kahill."

"Sure it is, Pretty."

He looked at me eagerly; I sighed, relenting.

"Planasene Forest; I'm the First of Clan Lavellan."

"Oh, really?" Varric seemed excited and he let out a great laugh. "I'm from Kirkwall myself so I have had some adventures going through that forest of yours time to time, usually with the Champion. Nice place except for the giant spiders that like to crawl around in the more mountainous areas and then there's the demons. Always the demons."

"We usually try to stay more southern, near the sea," I informed him, not really enjoying the reminder about the spiders nor the feeling as if I was being interrogated and I hurried to walk next to Cassandra. Not to talk exactly but just to get away from the dwarf.

The seeker gave me a rare look of understanding and inclined her head in the direction we were heading. "Just ahead is the forward camp. Leliana should be there, ready for us to move onto the Temple. It won't be long but we shall have a brief rest there before we continue. I realize that little of this or us makes sense to you but we don't have the luxury to explain it to you. All I have to say is keep your guard ready, not everyone is placing their faith into you like we are…There will be obstacles."

"I figured as much," I sighed and we traveled in silence. Again, groups of demons found us but Solas and Varric were not unused to battle and we advanced faster than if it was just Cassandra and I. The apostate was thankfully quiet and kept to himself, only giving me the occasional glance which I gathered was more due to my mark than me personally. I couldn't tell if I was disgruntled or thankful for that insight…It would've been nice to for me talk with him, elf to elf, but Solas wasn't exactly like the other elves in my clan or the ones we'd met on our nomadic travels. He seemed an outsider for a race of outcasts, a certain sadness prevalent in the yearning of his gaze and the subtle movement of his body, head bowed as if always in silent contemplation or thought. Yet, his skill with magic was evident and he wielded a staff tipped with a substance unfamiliar to me; pale and ivory in color with veins of red like blood. I almost asked but decided against it as our path led us upward, ascending through thick snow piles, precariously leaning trees of fir and pine, and mad demons with intent to destroy and murder.

"We're close," Solas said suddenly from next to me, his eyes narrowed in thought, "and another rift is near. Can you feel it?"

After he asked, I could. A tension was gradually increasing in my marked palm, pulling me onward slightly like a child's impatient tug, and a green flash illuminated from the bland, unspecific mark. "Yes. How can you feel it though?"

The elf smiled widely at me, revealing small, white teeth that were slightly pointed. "As I said, I am an apprentice of the Fade. I know it well and learned something of your mark while you were sleeping after the destruction at the Temple. Like a reflection of the Breach, it was growing rapidly and at a pace which would've swallowed you whole in a short matter but I detained it to your palm in the hopes you would survive long enough for us to find an end to the Breach's extension."

"You saved me?" I asked astonished, my feelings of the strange apostate changing. "Why?"

"Why?" Solas echoed. "You need more reason than for my want to save another elf's life?" There was no accusation in Solas' voice, just curiosity as if he found me an interesting puzzle or riddle.

"Not to sound unthankful but you owe nothing to these shemlens or their companions or even me," I explained quickly. "You say you come because of your experience with the Fade and the spirits that dwell inside but wouldn't a world enveloped by the very thing you yearn to learn more about sound exciting?"

Solas flashed me a look and I swore he was almost pleased but then Varric, who was ahead of the rest of the group, called out, "Gate's closed to the forward camp and another rift stands in our way!"

"Damnit," Cassandra swore, expression tired, but ran ahead of Varric. "Lavellan – close that rift when able."

I nodded, despite the fact that she couldn't even see the gesture, and Solas and I gave chase, lending our magic to the fight alongside the seeker's blade and the dwarf's arrows. The rift was in front of a closed gate, two soldiers stoutly defending their position behind barricades. Refraining from fire magic again, I leaned upon my knowledge of nature and twisted the ground up from its foundation to crush shades and spirits with the very earth they craved to walk upon. Magic thrummed through the air as Solas deftly handled electricity and ice, enchanting Varric's bolts that ripped through demons like parchment or making Cassandra's shield emit sparks whenever someone dared strike its hull, and not a speck of sweat glistened him, while I felt my body shaking from the concentration and focus of summoning extensive amounts of magic in a short period of time.

As the last demon fell away, I knew I had to close the rift but a sudden fear overwhelmed me. What if I couldn't do it? That the last rift was simply a coincidence, it collapsed upon itself due to the volatile nature of the Fade or some other theoretical explanation, and I would be executed for crimes I didn't commit. All these thoughts traveled across my mind as I raised my left hand towards the rift and unleashed the energy that was climbing back to uncomfortable. To my relief, a stream of green light and power radiated from the mark and towards the rift, closing it in a cascade of sparks and embers.

Panting, I leaned heavily on the staff and waited for the burning in my palm to disappear as Solas approached and put a slim hand on my shoulder. "Excellent – you're starting to become very proficient at this."

"Good for me," I said slowly through heavy breaths and looked at him. "Do you honestly believe I can close the Breach? These rifts are nowhere the size of that monstrosity in the sky and –"

"And we'll know more once we're at the Temple of Sacred Ashes," finished Solas and squeezed my shoulder before looking at Cassandra. "Let's hurry."

The seeker nodded her head and looked at the posted soldiers, who were both showing signs of relief. "Open the gate."

"Understood, ser," one said and she yelled, "Cruz – Open the gate, Lady Seeker's orders!"

The gate groaned on poorly-oiled hinges and our exhausted group stumbled through onto another bridge – was that a Ferelden thing, showing off with their expert construction and engineering? - filled with soldiers, tents, supplies of armor, swords, and resources, and a disgruntled man yelling at Leliana, who was composed like a snake before a oblivious mouse rustling around in the dirt.

"This is madness! Complete and utter foolery upon your parts, Spymaster," the man went off continuously while looking down at a map, held down by swords and a broken shield. "We should pull back and retreat to the safety of Haven before the rift opens again and demons fill this valley like flies. I'd rather we lose no more men than we already have in this brainless scheme of yours and the seeker."

"We need to get the prisoner to the Temple of Sacred Ashes, it's our only hope," Leliana argued.

"No!" The man said, negating her words with a dismissive gesture of his hand. The red and white of his outlandish garb reflected poorly in the Breach's light. "You and that prisoner have caused nothing but trouble in these dark times."

" _I_ am trouble?"

Leliana's tone indicated she was prepared to throttle the man but Cassandra decided it was time to intervene. "Lord Chancellor Roderick, you're still breathing I see."

The man looked up and glared at us. "Lady Seeker." He was older, age lines wrinkling his skin except for the area around his eyes, and as he frowned, severely more lines appeared that I didn't figure would be possible. Beady and dark, his gaze lingered on her for a moment before flickering over in my direction. "And the prisoner. Why isn't he in chains?"

Cassandra's words came back to me and I realized that she meant this man to be one of those obstacles she hinted at. Lovely. "Hard to defend myself from demons with my wrists bound, ser, or when I am closing the rifts that were in the valley behind us."

"You closed the rifts?" His voice wasn't surprised, instead it was accusatory. "Makes sense when you're the one who caused this whole mess at the Conclave." The Chancellor signaled to a soldier. "Finds some chains – Cassandra, I want this elf prepared for travel and trial to Val Royeaux immediately so he will be sentenced by whomever becomes the next Divine."

Cassandra's eyes practically bulged out of her head as she slammed a gauntleted hand against the table, rage blazing on her face. "How dare you order me around, you glorified desk clerk who had no purpose at the Conclave because of your low station!"

Roderick swelled up. "I'm trying to find order and balance in the mess you placed us in when you decided to trust the elf."

"Mess? We're simply trying to stop the Breach so there's a Val Royeaux for you to sit in," Leliana hissed. With that, she turned to Cassandra and myself. "Then it works? You can close the rifts?"

"Yes," Cassandra interceded for me. "The prisoner's mark allows him power to control the rifts and subsequently close them once enough demons are cleared from its path." Roderick opened his mouth as if to argue but Cassandra smoothly and coolly drew her dagger and slammed it into the table to the hilt; he promptly closed his mouth but his expression didn't deter, furious and flushed. She ignored him. "What choices do we have in getting to the Temple?"

"The path ahead is the swiftest but the most dangerous, laden with rifts and demons. Cullen is stationed at the Temple's entrance with a few of his guard and a messenger came shortly before you arrived that another rift is there, halting his progress. I sent a few scouts along the more mountainous paths, hoping for a road through an old, abandoned mining tunnel that would get us there safely but they have not returned. I fear they are either off course or dead." Leliana pointed across the bridge, where through the blowing snow and faded light, I spotted faintly an opening delving into the mountainside. "Charging towards Cullen directly would be more efficiently timewise but dangerous as well; the tunnels would be safer."

"Tell that to the missing scouts," Varric muttered from behind me and I couldn't help but agree with him. "Poor sobs."

Cassandra didn't deign him a dirty glance, instead contemplated the two choices for a moment, before turning to me. "What do you believe we should do?"

I blinked. "You're asking me? The prisoner? The one you want to put on trial for something I'm as troubled about as you?"

"You have the mark," said Solas. "You are the only chance we have of closing the Breach."

"And it's killing you, not me or the Chancellor, so it's only fair the decision lies with you," explained Cassandra. "If you fear that the mark will consume you if we take the mountain path then we should put our resources into getting you to the Temple as quickly as possible, charging onward ahead. If not, then the mountain would be safer and we could determine the cause of the scouts' disappearance."

I looked at her hopelessly, slightly wishing she would make a disgusted expression and tell me she would never place such a responsibility in my hands. She, of course, did not, and only waited for me. Sighing, I ran my mark-ridden hand through my hair, its burning almost becoming something I was expecting. "Couldn't we send more scouts through the mountain path and see if they simply need reinforcements?"

"Dangerous," Leliana supplied, "it could result in more deaths."

"It could result in _our_ deaths," I said, unable to keep the bitterness from my tone, "and then where would we be? But we can't leave those scouts without some kind of hope or reinforcement, I am not that type of person to leave others behind. Could we send a small force of soldiers into the mountains while the rest of us head directly to the Temple with the rest of the forces?"

"A possibility but it would leave us with less when we charge," said Cassandra.

"Then that's what I would do," I said, letting out a slow breath. "I know it's not simple and there are complications but it's what I believe is right."

The seeker almost smiled, almost, but did attribute a small nod of approval in my favor then turned to Leliana. "Pull everyone back in the valley, Leliana, and gather our forces for an assault on the Temple. Get Thomason and his contingent to go through the mountains. If they find the scouts, grab them and return, don't do anything in excessive or unnecessary."

The cloaked woman nodded. "I'll go with Thomason and meet you at the Temple when I can."

The two woman nodded and Leliana hurried back towards the valley, strides swift and silent as she picked up a bow and quiver on a nearby table and tossed them over her shoulder. I watched her go and felt a slight twinge of uncertainty – I wasn't trained to be tactical, not in the ways of troops and resources, and decisions usually rested in choosing the best terrain to travel with the clan. Not this, not peoples' lives in my hands which I barely knew.

"Let's go," Cassandra said and handed me a vial. "Drink this – it will help."

I took it and examined the glass carefully. Red liquid swirled sluggishly in the device and I glanced curiously at the seeker. "What exactly is it?"

"A potion to help ease your aches and pains concocted by our mages, probably made with that weed you wasted our time with," Cassandra said and as she turned away, I swore I saw a ghost of a smile on her face.

The journey to the Temple was slow but uneventful, our large group scaring away the demons and spirits who dared approach us on the slim path. I followed in the front with Cassandra, Varric, and Solas, my head tilted to take in the view. Jagged, looming spires of rock lodged out towards the sky at angles, cruel and dark, with shattered ruins of a desolate temple. Parts still stood but only cruel mockeries of the beauty and magnificence it must have once been, like a tall pillar depicted with carvings I didn't recognize or a half a statue of what could've been the bottom of a flowing dress or robe. My heart panged for the people – not even shemlens deserved such destruction of religion and faith.

We eventually ascended to the peak, reaching a stone stairway, flanked by stone walls that supported still-flaming sconces, which led to a gate, once grand and impressive, but now a forlorn entrance with its wooden door broken and splintered on the ground like a grim welcoming mat. Soldiers were everywhere, some standing on top of the gate with bows and arrows, others sat around cleaning blades or fixing broken arrowheads, and a few tended to the wounded, who were numerous. Iron and blood hung heavily on the air like a scent of death and war.

Solas was watching them too and his were round with sadness. "This place will forever be touched by sadness and pain, for those alive today and the ones perished in the explosion. Grim memories haunting for eons in the Fade."

"Let's make sure there are no more to add," Cassandra promised and waved over one of the soldiers who were standing guard at the gate. "Where's Commander Cullen?"

"He went to the rift in the midst of the Temple's entrance, ser," said the soldier and added quickly as Cassandra glared at him: "The commander told me he would not risk any other's lives if he could help it so he went with a few soldiers. I tried persuading him otherwise but he gave orders, Lady Seeker."

"By the Maker," Cassandra swore. "Stay here and wait for our signal to lead on into the Temple and prepare a fresh contingent of men who are prepared and ready for battle, swords and archers both." The soldiers saluted and hurried off to follow commands. The seeker waved our small party forward. "Let's get rid of that rift. Hopefully, Leliana will be at the Temple already."

After the potion Cassandra had given me, I felt refreshed and anew, as if I'd slept a goodnight's rest, and kept up with her briskly though as we approached the Temple, the tingling burn form the mark only increased and I was forcing myself to not cry out at points as it throbbed in correlation with the lashing Breach above, a green reflection of its energy. Not to upset the others or have something else for them to fear, I maintained a neutral expression.

As we stepped through what must have been the entrance to the Temple, an enclosure opened up in front of us. Men, too few, were fighting against a horde of demons – shades, spirits, and even the long, willowy, disjointed form of a terror – and Cassandra didn't say anything as she stormed into the raging battle, us supposed to follow like obedient children. There were so many, too many, and the soldiers already fighting were weary, not going to last much longer, and the demons just continued to slip out from the rift.

I lifted up my staff into the air and screamed, "Mythal!" Light flared into existence, pure and golden like dawn on a summer's morn, and I swung the glowing piece of metal into an approaching snarling demon's face. It screeched with pain and horror as the corrupted creature held no sway over the blessed light and dissolved from the purity to the shadows it once had come. As I twirled the staff expertly in my hands, I recited softly and firmly a chant passed down from Keeper to First, a spell of protection and assault that had been blessed ages ago by the very goddess we held up so reverently: " _Let fly your voice to Mythal. Deliverer of justice. Protector of sun and earth alike. Pray to Mythal and she would smite your enemies, leaving them in agony_." With a yell, I kneeled down to the ground and swung the staff downwards on the ground. Light burst from the staff's tip like sunrays, flaring into existence and spiraling towards demon and friend alike. The creatures of the Fade shriveled and yelled as the goddess' might rivaled their malice while the soldiers were protected by cones of the same golden light, claws being thrown aside and fangs shattering on impact.

As the goddess-driven spell worked its magic, I felt the energy whisk out of me just as quickly. It wasn't a spell to be used lightly, only in times of great danger that faced the clan but I couldn't see more misery, more sorrow, more pain. The staff slipped off the rubble as I tried placing my weight upon it and found myself upon the ground, panting, the health potion worn off. Darkness loomed in at the edge of my vision and the world spun madly.

A long-clawed, spindly foot slammed down in the dirt in front of me and I glanced up to see a terror demon leaning over me, its face like a multi-eyed insect with a mouth in the middle of its thin chest, ravenous teeth curling around the edges. A long, drawn-out cry shattered the air and a sudden feeling of dread consumed me, emptying my mind like a child's writing slate, and I could only stare as it raised a scythe-like hand, ready to end my life.

Suddenly, a sword intercepted the claw and flung it away. A man stepped in front of me and promptly sliced off the demon's torso from its legs in a long, decisive swing. Howling in pain, it crashed to the ground where the man finished it with the blade plunging into the open mouth. It screeched once more before falling silent.

"Lavellan! The rift!"

The man turned around at Cassandra's yell and stared down at me, his form barely more than a silhouette against the rift's light. "You're okay," he said and helped me unsteadily to my feet. "What do you need to do?"

"My hand," I muttered, the Temple's ruins still swimming around me and I found it hard to focus after the exhaustion of my spell and the terror demon's vile effects. "My left hand – the mark."

"Ah, of course." A firm but gentle hand circled my wrist and held it forward. As if from a distance, I felt the release of energy but I closed my eyes against the light and slumped partially against the man even though I knew how I had to look, weak and useless, dignity lost.

"Is he alright?" I heard Cassandra's voice and someone grabbed my face and I winced, opening my eyes slightly to see the seeker's face looking at me intently, dark eyes worried. For me or for the Breach, I wasn't sure. "What happened?"

"Terror demon," the man said then I felt him shift. "You figured it out then, I see."

"We don't know much, Cullen, except for the fact that this elf has the mark and it can close the rifts. We're placing our faith in him and the Maker that it will be enough to at least still the Breach if not close it entirely."

"He doesn't seem like much."

"He can hear you," I said and pushed away from the man while forcing myself to keep my eyes open determinedly. The area spun a little bit but I was able to focus enough to take in the scene. The rift was gone, the soldiers were tending to the wounded, and Solas and Varric loomed in the background as Cassandra and the man stood in front of me. I looked at the one who saved me; he was tall, even for a human, and wore armor of leather and steel, fur ringing his neck. He had a handsome, angular face, straight jaw obscured by stubble, with light brown eyes, blond hair styled back and out of his face except for a loose curl had splaying onto his forehead. A thin, wide mouth was curled into a lopsided grin, made even more lopsided as a faint scar split his upper lip. "He also appreciates the demon slaying."

The man known as Cullen nodded. "Show your thanks by making sure those good lives aren't for waste, the ones we lost getting you here." His face darkened in the shadow of anger, though it wasn't meant for me. "By the Maker, I hope you're what Cassandra says you are. Here." He held out my staff and I took it gratefully, for its focus and support as I couldn't believe how tired I was. "You should get to the Temple; I'll stay here with the soldiers and help the wounded and be ready at a moment's notice if need be."

He turned quickly but I held out a hand to stop him. Instead of answering his quizzical look, I delved into my robe pocket and pulled out the slightly-crumpled elfroot leaves. "Here. Crush them up and put them on like a salve – it'll aid in the wounds and keep them from getting infected by demon claws and their fell poisons."

Cullen took them slowly, his face surprised, but I didn't allow him the opportunity to inquire into the issue as I looked at Cassandra. "We should go…I'm already tired and I feel this day isn't going to end anytime soon."

"We can take a short break if you want," said Cassandra but I could hear that she truly didn't mean it.

"No, we don't have the time for that. But I wouldn't say no to another potion if you have one; its potency has faded," I said but Cassandra shook her head in a negative. "Figured but thought I would ask." I raised my eyes to the Temple before us. "Mythal, Maker, whatever the dwarves pray to under their mountains, I hope they're with us now. We'll need it."

Leliana met us with a group of scouts behind her. Apparently, a rift had opened up in the depths of mountains and demons crawled in the dark like rodents. Leliana and her soldiers helped stem the flow until they were able to make it through the tunnels and get to safety. We didn't speak much as there was very little to say so we descended into the remains of the Temple of Sacred Ashes. The foundation and corridors were partly intact but they all led to a barren crater, surrounded by red-stone spikes and spires pointing to the large rift that floated in the middle. Green light trailed upwards to the middle of the always swirling Breach, a ghostly connection that shifted constantly as we watched.

Solas and I watched it from a balcony that was somehow still stable as Varric talked about red lyrium to Cassandra but I knew little of its importance so I refrained from joining in the conversation. We were silent for a moment. "The Breach is high up; I don't think I'll ever be able to get up there close enough to do anything."

"That shouldn't be a problem," Solas explained and pointed to the rift in the middle of the crater. "That rift is the first, the initiator. It's partially closed at the moment so we'll need to open it again and close it properly with your mark and hopefully that will stop the Breach from growing. Will it close the Breach permanently? No, but it will give us time to figure out something."

Cassandra paced over to us and looked over at the rift with us. "Solas inform you of our plan?"

"Yes."

What else could I say? We all knew that what was about to happen was relying heavily upon chance, luck, and the mark that somehow got stuck to my hand. Nothing made sense but it was the only choice we had, the only choice I had. I suppose I could run and flee to the best of my abilities but I knew little of the land, the people, their ways, and with a war between mages and templars raging, I wouldn't get far. Cassandra was crass, Varric verbally vexatious, and Solas…a mystery but they were supporting me despite the fact they knew nothing about me and my life.

I couldn't let them down.

We followed the winding path downwards towards the crater, more red lyrium shining in places that reflected fearfully on Varric's face, and I promised myself if there was time later, I'd ask about it. Yet, now was definitely not the appropriate setting for it.

Especially as we walked, a sudden voice went through the air, deep and grating like rumbling stones.

 _Now is the hour of our victory._

 _Bring forth the sacrifice._

We stopped and Cassandra spoke up, asking the obvious question. "Whose voice is that?"

 _Keep the sacrifice still._

 _Someone – help me! Help me!_

"Divine Justinia!" Cassandra gasped, looking utterly bewildered, a contrast against her usual calm and stern countenance. "That was Divine Justinia's voice, I-I don't understand."

"The Fade is bleeding into this place," said Solas, his explanation coming swift and to the point. "Memories of what happened are slipping through into the present. The voice we're hearing is probably the true culprit of the events which transpired here and reason for the Divine's death."

"That doesn't explain your purpose in this," Cassandra directed towards me and I simply shrugged my shoulders, still oblivious. However, the rift decided to answer in its own way.

A scene sprouted up into the clearing before us, mystical and mythical, like watching the past through someone else's gaze. Eyes like burning coals upon robes of shadows glared at a figure of an aged woman, wearing garments similar to the Chancellor but more prestigious and of finer quality, whose arms were kept in front of her by detaining energy. She looked fearful as she screamed again – _Someone help me!_

 _What's going on here?_

I blinked as I saw with my very eyes…myself walking forward into the scene and looking around, confused as I felt currently, though with my hand raised up as if ready to summon magic. The whole thing faded into nothingness just as the first voice returned.

 _We have an intruder. Kill the elf._

"You were there!" Cassandra yelled accusatory, face turning red. "You saw the Most Holy! Who was the owner of that first voice?"

"I already told you – I don't know!" I snapped. "I have no memory of even being there and am surprised at you what we just saw. Do you think I would lie?"

Cassandra wilted as easily as she angered and she passed a hand over her face. "My apologies…It's just this whole thing. Should we attempt to close the rift?"

"It's already closed partially, Lady Seeker," Solas said. "We need to open it for a moment before we use the mark again to close it properly."

"Yeah, Seeker, don't you know?" Varric added and all three of us looked at him, exasperated. "Sorry, sarcasm is my first language."

"Just shut up and get Bianca ready. Opening the rift means demons and with the rift being partially closed, as you put it, Solas, they are probably waiting at the edge, ready to enter the world. Leliana!" The cloaked woman appeared at the top of the Temple in front of the balcony where Cassandra, Solas, and I had looked down and nodded. Archers appeared around the Temple at various areas, bows strung and nocked in an instant, and ready for anything.

"Okay," Cassandra said to me. "We're as ready as we will ever be."

I nodded my head once to her and faced the rift. It looked innocent enough, just flashing in the air, and closed to the realm of the Fade. I wasn't exactly sure how to open the rift again as I had only ever closed one before but I took a breath out and lifted up my hand, hoping instinct would take over.

It did. Like a siphon, energy billowed out from the rift and towards me, building up in my hand again and I grimaced as the burning nerve feeling carried me off my feet and to the ground. A crackling sound split the air and I scrambled to look upright to see what other horror was upcoming and watched as a monstrosity stepped out from the rift.

The demon towered over us all with skin made of black, shiny metal and stone jagged out from its body like spines, hard as unresolved determination and arrogance. Electricity coursed alongside its claws with great displays of purple energy, prideful and illuminous. Dark eyes peered from under black, curling horns, and it roared with spittle as our small party stared it down, or at least Cassandra, Varric, and Solas did.

I couldn't focus past restraining the energy in my hand as it felt like trying to keep the wind from blowing or the rain from falling in a storm with willpower alone. I heard them assault the pride demon but at even the slightest focus away from the mark, a burst of green light spewed from my hand and started towards the rift.

"No!" Solas' yells echoed in the valley. "The demon still has a link to the Fade due to the rift. You can't close it properly until the pride demon is dead!"

"Hurry!" I managed but I don't think anyone even heard me as my voice seemed small even in my own ears. The burning feeling was swiftly becoming pain and I felt my entire world was disappearing into a vastness of green and darkness. My tether to reality was fading quickly and my hold on the energy was becoming unstable. Yet, I couldn't let go; not now, not after everything.

I wasn't going to fail.

I gritted my teeth as the pain started climbing up my arm, towards my chest, my heart.

The mark was going to kill me; Solas' restraining mage was finally fading.

"Lavellan – now!"

"Close the rift!"

So I did and disappeared into the darkness of my own doing.

Hope you enjoyed! Please review and tell me what you thought about it!

Have a nice one!


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